The present invention relates to apparatus for cleaning, particularly to apparatus for cleaning floor surfaces, and specifically to a unique and novel floor polishing machine.
High speed burnishing is a floor polishing method using a very fine abrasive disc rotating at 1000 RPM's or more to produce a high "wet look" glass appearance on the floor. Typically a high solids content floor finish material is spread in a thin layer on the floor, allowed to harden, and then burnished with a high RPM burnishing machine. The burnishing process removes the top particles of the floor finish with the fine abrasive rotating disc, producing a smooth glossy appearance. In the process, the top layer of floor finish is removed in the form of a very fine powder. This powder often becomes airborne because of the air turbulence created by the high speed rotation of the disc. This is undesirable because the powder and dust then settles back onto the floor and on furniture and must be removed with a dust mop, vacuum cleaner or similar means.
The orientation of the burnishing disc in relation to the transport wheels requires that the burnishing disc be raised off the floor when transporting the machine from one location to another in the non-operating mode. This is necessary to avoid damaging the disc when the machine is moved over door thresholds, ramps, elevator door gaps, and the like. Prior to the present invention, the burnishing disc was raised manually by the operator. One disadvantage of a manually operated means of raising the disc off the floor is that the operator may forget or neglect to engage the lift mechanism.
Thus a need has arisen for a floor polishing machine which provides dust and debris control and which automatically raises the burnishing disc off the floor in a non-operating mode.